John Keelin » Principal News

Principal News

THE DC TRIP IS FOR CURRENT 6th and 7th Grade Scholars ONLY. 

Thank you all for taking the time to come and spend time with us during SLATE conferences. This is always a great way to celebrate all the amazing things our scholars are doing!  I am excited to announce that our PSC (Parent Support Committee) will be selling Dions pizza on Thursdays for $2 a slice. They will also have drinks and desserts available to purchase.  If you would like to help the PSC with one of its many activities please contact them at [email protected] I know they would love any support!  I want to thank all the chaperones who supported the 7th Grade team on their trip to El Racho De Las Golondrinas!  The weather was beautiful and the trip was a huge success. 


On Wednesday we will be celebrating Unity Day.  All scholars can wear orange as we take a stand against Bullying!  This includes shirts, pants, socks, and shoes.  Scholars at not allowed to wear shorts, hats, or open-toed shoes! 


We will be celebrating Red Ribbon Week on October 24th - 28th.  Below is a list of scheduled events.  


Red Ribbon Week Theme: Celebrate Life. Live Drug-Free.


Spirit Week Dress-up Days: 


*Monday, October 24, 2022 - Celebrate the History of Life 

(Dress like a historical figure)

*Tuesday, October 25, 2022 - Favorite Celebration Day 

(Dress up as your favorite celebration, i.e. birthday party, 4th of July, Cinco de Mayo, etc.)

*Wednesday, October 26, 2022 - Celebrate Family 

(Dress up as a family member) 

*Thursday, October 27, 2022 - Celebrate Your Happily Every After 

 (Dress up like a Fairy Tale Character)



Dress-up Days rules: 

Scholars should be dressed from the shoulders to the knees. Footwear must be closed (no open-toed sandals, etc.)  Little to no face painting or additional masks are allowed. If it applies, be creative with the mask you already wear! The staff must be able to see the rest of your face for safety reasons. Do not bring anything that could be mistaken for a weapon. All costumes/clothing must follow general school-appropriate guidelines (no weapons, anything vulgar or hurtful to others, etc. You know how this works...you are intelligent people).  

 

 

 

 

Red Ribbon Week Door Decorating Contest 

We will also have an FC/CP Door Decorating Contest for MS and HS with prizes for the winning CP/FC. The theme will be 'Celebrate Life!' A rubric for FC/CP classes and judges will be provided. The doors will be judged on October 29th. 

The winning FCs will get Root beer Floats. 

 

 

Red Ribbon Week Video Contest 

Scholars will enter a video contest. The topic is, What do you do to celebrate life? 1st prize is a $50 Amazon gift card. 2nd and 3rd place winners get $25 Amazon gift cards. 



I want to thank all the parents for attending the Parent Support Committee meeting on Friday.  It was great to have so many middle school parents in attendance.  If you were unable to attend and would like to join the PSC please contact them.  Below is a link to the PSC web page. 



On the 13th & 14th of this week, our Middle School Scholars will take their Beginning of Year IMSSA Test from 8:00-10:00.  Please encourage your scholar to get a good night's sleep the night before.  Studies show that a good meal on the morning of testing can benefit your child.


September 30th, End of 1st Quarter!

Welcome to the new school year.  We are now three weeks into the new year.  The start of a new school year is always a time of transition.  We all learn and adapt to our new routines and schedules.  This transition can be a stressful time for scholars, project managers, and parents. As a parent, I know that this transition time can also be welcoming as it brings some structure and consistency to our family. As we settle into the new year it will become easier.  Change can also bring discomfort since changes are not always easy.  If you or your scholars have any questions or concerns about the start of the year please feel free to come by my office, email me or call me at school.  I hope to establish a clear line of communication and availability to all involved in The ASK Academy.  


I look forward to meeting you all at some point.  I have had the opportunity to meet many of our families already, and have enjoyed getting to know you all.  One of my goals is to foster and promote community relationships with professionals in STEM-related fields.  Working closely with professionals we can create real-world experiences that will further prepare our scholars for their future. 


I want to thank a few families for their support in this area.


Mr. Raul Bujunda, Special Agent in Charge: FBI Albuquerque, has been working with the school to create a safe environment for all stakeholders.  His team will be working closely with the school on safety training for all staff.


Mr. Michael Wright, Hewlett Packard: Next Generation Impact Network, is working with our Middle School Project managers and his group of volunteers who aim to make an impact in the community. The group's Future Tech warriors program is a pillar under the Next Generation Impact network for HP.  We will begin with a 3D printing course in our robotics classes and an Online Broadcast System in our media literacy classes in 7th grade.  


And we CAN NOT forget the amazing Parent Support Committee and all the Volunteers that help support our learning community by selling pizza on Thursdays, setting up and supporting us on picture day and so much more. 


We are very excited about these partnerships and would love to expand these partnerships.  If you or any of your family members have connections that would be an asset to our learning community, please let me know.  We are Better Together! 


Just a reminder that due to Safety we are making changes to many school policies.  Scholar dropoff each day begins at 7:30.  The front gate is set to open daily at that time.  The gate will close at 8:00 automatically.  If your scholar arrives after 8:00 you will be required to park and sign them in at the office.  The gate will remain closed throughout the day and will open at 3:30 for pickup.  We ask that you do not arrive before 3:30 as we do not want to have cars parked in front of the building for safety reasons.  We are working diligently to create a safe space for learning to take place.  We all play a part in that!  If you have any suggestions or questions please reach out to me. 


Thank you for all you do,


Mr. Keelin